"Don't be aroused by my confession

Unless you don't give a good goddamn about redemption

I know Christ is coming but so am I

And you would too if that sexy devil caught your eye."

Rev 22:20

Ever since Alaric was old enough to know the difference between good and wrong, he knew about Moulin Rouge. It was a whore house, the devil's playground, his father would tell him. He learned that the people that went in there were lost souls and they needed to be saved. This was the down fall of being the son of a preacher man. Everyone needed to be saved even if Alaric didn't want to save them. But, being a young boy, he went along with what his father wanted of him. He did everything he was expected to do even if he had a curious eye for this place.

As Alaric got older, he found himself joining his father as well as some other people of the town to try and save these 'lost souls'. He wasn't really sure if they really saved anyone. Most people just walked past them and half of the time, Alaric didn't really speak a word. He felt guilty, really, that he wanted to go inside this place versus just standing there looking like an idiot. He wondered how it was so easy for his father to deny this place. Maybe his faith was stronger or maybe he was lying to himself.

Alaric was twenty two years old when he decided to go against his father. The curiosity won him over and although something inside of him told him to stay away from this place, he simply didn't listen. He had waited far too long to walk inside this place and see exactly what it was about. Maybe it was the devil's playground as his father put it. But if you're going to come into a playground you might as well be willing to play, right? And Alaric was willing to place that night he snuck out of his father's house. Walking down the side walk with his hands in his jacket pockets, he felt a certain nervousness and yet at the same time a certain excitement. Alaric wanted to be here. He wanted to know if all the talk was true – the good and the bad – and the moment he walked inside, it almost took his breath away.

The whole inside of the building had a classy but vintage feel. It was almost like a theater but it wasn't. These people weren't coming to watch a movie or a play. They were coming to watch the women and only the women. They were coming here to watch whatever story they had to tell unfold and maybe if they were lucky enough they would be able to brag to one of their friends about being with one of the 'Moulin Rouge Girls' as people called them. But at the moment, he didn't see very many women but mostly men and it wasn't until then did he realize how out of place he must have looked. Not that it mattered, everyone knew who he was. Alaric was the pastor's son, the good kid. Everyone knew and there was no way he was able to escape it.

"Well look who decided to come out and play."

Alaric almost jumped when he heard a voice behind him but he didn't have to turn around to figure out who it was. The man stepped to his side before moving in front of him. Damon Salvatore, was Alaric's only thought as his mind raced around to try and find and answer to the other man's statement.

"Can't wait until daddy finds out about this." Damon smirked at the younger man as his blue eyes looked him over. Alaric felt like he was judging him but he wasn't surprised. Everyone seemed dressed up like some kind of ball was going on. He almost expected for the music to start playing and for everyone to begin pairing up with each other.

"He won't," Alaric tried to respond confidently as he glanced away from Damon.

"Small town," the other man reminded him, "people are going to talk especially since everyone knows what family you belong to." Damon opened his mouth to say more but he quickly shut it once he noticed that the lights were dimming.

"Show is about to start." He reached out to pat Alaric on his shoulder, "Let's see how many souls you can save tonight."

The younger man shifted almost as if he had suddenly grown uncomfortable as his eyes moved to the stage. The excitement he once felt seemed to have completely left him and he was only left with a sense of nervousness. What was he getting himself into? Alaric wasn't sure if he had the answer to that question but he knew it was too late to turn back now especially after Damon had spoken to him. He glanced over to where to the man had gone and made eye contact before quickly looking away. There was no way he could leave now.

The curtains drew open as the music began to start and there they were. Alaric wasn't sure where these women were from but there was no way they were from around here. They were almost strangely attractive. It was almost as if they held features that he had never exactly seem before. One of the blondes caught his eye and he wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. Her pale skin and her blonde hair almost made it too much but it was her eyes that pulled everything together. Even from where Alaric was standing he could see how vibrant they were. The way she moved and the way she sang made it quite clear that she was the one fighting to be in the spotlight and this moment, he didn't have a problem with that.

Then there were the two brunettes: One that seemed to have as much confidence and as much fight as the blonde but the other had a more quiet confidence and yet she was able to stand out from the others all on her own. This place was interesting to say the least and Alaric was starting to feel a little better about his decision to come here. But just when he was about to come to terms with the fact that he saw all he could see, the lights dimmed and the music faded out.

He glanced back over towards Damon and found that the man wasn't looking at him with judging eyes anymore but that his eyes were locked ahead of him. Alaric followed his gaze back to the stage and almost as if on cue, the lights turned up again.

"And here is who we've all been waiting for," a voice announced, "our Sparkling Diamond."

Alaric watched as the woman stood there and the men applauded. She was obviously the favorite out of the bunch and he could see why. Her reddish blonde hair seemed to stand out more against her pale skin as it fell against her shoulders in curls. She kept her eyes down as if she was hit with stage fright while being up there in front of all of the men but once the applause died down, she flicked her eyes up. Alaric was sure he had never seen blue eyes like that before. He watched as her lips curled up into the faintest of smiles and it wasn't until then did he realize he wasn't breathing.

This woman – whoever she was – managed to steal his breath away. And maybe, just maybe, she managed to steal his heart as well.

xx

Alaric wasn't sure at one point did he try to escape the room. He felt like his skin was on fire as he unbuttoned the top few buttons of shirt as he made his way in the direction of the bathroom. He was glad that most of the men were still in the main room watching the rest of the show. The last thing he wanted was have to push through the sea of them just so he could get a moment to himself. But his prayers weren't answer this time or maybe they were and just in a different way.

"Leaving so soon?"

The quiet voice behind him stopped him dead in his tracks. He could practically hear the sound of his own heart beating in his chest as he realized who it was that was talking to him. He thought about just walking inside the men's room but his body had a mind of his own and instead, Alaric found himself turning around to face the woman that was questioning him.

"No," he replied his voice almost coming out in a whisper.

"Here to save my soul?" She asked with a tilt of her head as she moved closer to him.

Alaric let out a shaky breath as he shook his head, "No."

"Then why are you here?" Alaric watched with wide eyes as she closed the space between them. Her hand reached up to delicately play with a button on his shirt, her eyes flicking up to look at his face.

He cleared his throat wondering if that could do away with the certain awkwardness he felt in this moment, "What's your name?" He avoided her question and instead went with the only thing that could pop into his head at the moment.

Her lips curled up into that same smile she gave while she was on stage. Her hands slowly and easily began to unbutton his shirt as her lips moved closer to his. "Do you really want to know?" Her lips brushed teasingly against Alaric's and when he didn't answer, she knew that wasn't the question he really wanted to ask but they would have time for talking later.

Everything seemed to move in fast motion as her lips met forcefully with Alaric's. The next thing he knew, he pressed against one of the walls of the bathroom as the woman ripped his shirt open, a few of the buttons flying in different directions in the process. Everything that he had been taught in his years of living under his father's room completely went out the window as he found himself actually enjoying this – enjoying her.

His fingers tangled in her reddish locks as his lips met with hers. Surprisingly, he was the one who deepened the kiss as his mouth opened, tongue brushing against her lips while secretly asking for permission to venture further. Without hesitation she complied, her mouth opening, a small moan escaping from her throat as she tasted him. Alaric didn't taste like most men. By now she would have been able to smell the all too familiar scent of cigarettes and alcohol but he was different and it was then that she realized his man was far more innocent than the others she had been with.

It wasn't long until clothes were dropping and neither of their thoughts ventured to the fact that anyone could walk in on them at any moment. Maybe neither of them really cared. Alaric's mind didn't even slip to the thought that he had never done this before until flesh met flesh as he lifted her, allowing her slender legs to wrap around his waist. Her back met the wall of one of the stalls and without prolonging this moment any further, he slipped inside of her. Alaric let out a loud groan as he pulled out of the kiss but remained close to her. Their eyes stayed open; their gazes locked.

The pace stayed slow at first, Alaric wanting to draw out this moment for as long as possible but it wasn't until he heard the faint whimper pass her perfect lips, did he give into exactly what she wanted. Finally, her eyes slipped shut as her fingers curled in Alaric's hair. He managed to keep his eyes opened as he watched her face. Her cheeks were turning red and he could see sweat forming on her still pale-ish skin. He leaned closer to her allowing his lips to brush down her jawline to her neck, his tongue gliding across her sweet yet salty skin.

"No marks," she managed to breathe out as she hypocritically marked Alaric's back with her nails. Not that he cared and that was obvious by the moan that followed her painted nails digging into his back.

Alaric didn't want this to end and if he had it his way, it wouldn't. But with the way she moved against him and the way she began to mumble incoherently, he knew this moment was coming to end. She tightened her legs around him, pulling him deeper and that was all Alaric needed to find his release.

There he stood inside a men's bathroom pressed against a woman he barely even knew trying to catch his breath. Hearing the faint sound of laughter come from her as she brushed her fingers through his sweat drenched hair brought him back to reality. He pulled back enough so he could look at her, the two of them still very much intertwined.

"Did you…"

The woman laughed softly again as she unwrapped her legs from Alaric and pushed him back so she could gather her clothes. She shook her head as she dressed herself and while on the outside it may have seemed as if she thought this man was naïve; on the inside she was quite surprised.

"You got off didn't you?" She glanced over her shoulder as she bent down to grab her shoes. She watched as Alaric seemed to almost be stunned by her response before he began to also slowly gather his clothes and get dressed himself.

"Then that's all that matters." She shrugged as she placed her hand against the wall to get her heels back on.

"You never told me your name," he said to her quietly as he tried to button whatever buttons were still left on his shirt.

"Ask around." She motioned with her hand before approaching Alaric again. She reached out to fix the collar of his shirt. Tilting her head to the side, she lifted her hand up to brush her fingers through her hair in a lazy attempt to fix it as well. "I hope you come back."

She left him with five simple words as he watched her leave the men's bathroom. With five words she managed to take not only his heart but his soul.

Note: Just an FYI: This story, at some point, with contain some dark plots. Just a warning.